The End of Nowhere
by Nineinchheels
Summary: Unexpected, rare and frightening. It was how they described it. They didn't see it coming, hell, if they had, she would have run and he would have hesitated long enough for her to get away with it. She wanted to move with the shadows, he was one of the most public faces on earth. Nonetheless, they didn't see it coming and therefore, it hit them out of nowhere. Hard. - Dark themes
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer concerning every chapter: I own nothing, I just can't turn my imagination off. Well, what do I know. I've never tried.**

**It's raw, all mistakes are my own and I apologize if they bother you.**

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Unexpected, rare and frightening. It was how they described it. They didn't see it coming, hell, if they had, she would have run and he would have hesitated long enough for her to get away with it. She wanted to move with the shadows, he was one of the most public faces on earth.

Nonetheless, they didn't see it coming and therefore, it hit them out of nowhere. Hard. They both fell hard and they both fell fast.

And neither of them would ever be the same.

- TEoN -

**Chapter 1**

He had been driving for almost a day, barely stopping and hardly thinking. His life was a constant buzz of voices, screaming and demands. He wasn't a person, he was a brand. Ironically enough, it was because he had gotten everything he had ever dreamed of. By public standards, he had it all. The looks, the talent and, logically following, the money.

At twenty-seven, he had already reached the top.

Now, all he dreamed of was leaping the hell off it. Although, with his luck, he would probably sprout wings and find a cloud with servants and strawberry-tasting women.

Edward's fingers were gripping the steering wheel tightly, his eyes tired and bloodshot, but he was feeling better. He had literally left the sunshine behind him and was now driving in pouring rain and listening to the crying wind, not the screaming fans who probably knew what size of underwear he wore at this point.

For a moment, he fanned his fingers out, stretching the stiff joints and cracking his neck. According to the GPS of his brother's car, he should be reaching his destination at any moment now. How that was possible, he couldn't figure out. If he neared the bar - the only one for about an hour by car - shouldn't there be houses and civilization around him? Not trees the size of skyscrapers. However, according to the little, glowing square, he was almost on top of "Jake's Place".

Another turn and there it was, yellow-lit windows and a small lightbulb over the door. Three or four cars were haphazardly parked outside… Edward stopped on the road, not even bothering to check if someone had come up behind him - it would be a first, considering that he hadn't seen another moving vehicle since Port Angeles. It really couldn't be it. It was as if someone had dropped a small, one storey building by the road and poured some gravel in front of it, right in the forest.

After a little more fidgeting with the GPS, he found that Forks, the small town where his old, childhood friend lived, was another ten minutes away. "Un-fucking-believable…" Edward didn't know what else to do but to park his car next to a beat up truck and get out.

He secured the cap low over his eyes, not to shield himself from the rain but from recognition, and eyed the sunglasses he had discarded in the passenger seat. No, he thought. It was almost five o'clock and already dark outside. How many people could be in there anyway?

As Edward pushed the door shut and hit the button to lock it, he eyes caught a bumper sticker on the truck - "Don't mind the cop, beware of the woman who cuts his steak". He couldn't make his feet move. What the hell was this place? And did he really dare to stay?

His brown leather jacket was an ocean by the time he walked through the door and into the dim bar. It wasn't big by any means, a bar across the room, various tables scattered around it and a few steps to his right, leading up to a slightly higher platform with two tables. That must be what Jake proudly called the "VIP section" when he described the place.

It was nice, though. Warm, inviting and… comfortable. Edward couldn't remember the last time he felt comfortable in public.

Men and women were spread out around the room, nobody seemed to take notice at first, nevertheless, one by one, they looked up and frowned at him. "Fuck." It was merely a whisper, but the word was already screaming inside of his head. He knew that soon, they would start, too. They were whispering, too. Glancing at one another and shaking their heads.

Edward was just about to turn and get the hell out of there when a tall, bulky shape walked through a door behind the bar, carrying a box of bottles.

It only took a few seconds for Jake to see him, for a wide grin to spread and for his big frame come barrelling towards him, pulling him into a hug and serving him a "How the hell are you?". Jake then put his big paws on Edward's shoulders and stepped back. "Look at you man! Nothing like the scrawny kid I knew, Bella was right, you filled out nicely. I mean, you're still gangly as shit, but we can't call you Scare Crow anymore."

Edward momentarily forgot about his discomfort and pushed Jake away, grinning. "Me? Hell, you were even skinnier than me! Shorter, too, if I'm not mistaken."

"Yeah, I shot up when I turned seventeen. Better late than never I guess, Forks did me good. Two weeks here and bam. I swear it's something in the water. How's my cus by the way? Your brother treating her nice?" Edward was lead deeper into the room, oddly, people seemed to be staring less and returning to their conversations. He realized that it wasn't the fact that he was Edward Cullen that had gotten to them, just simply that he was new. However, knowing Jake made him familiar, gave him a label, and he wasn't as interesting anymore.

Jake walked around the bar as Edward answered, "Yeah, Emmett bought them a car with the license "Embellio", his version of 'Emmett', 'Bella' and 'embryo' to celebrate the pregnancy. Safe to say that she had him sleeping on the couch until he took it back." Edward smiled, the two of them had always had a strange relationship. Somehow, they balanced each other out perfectly. Emmett was loud, exuberant and humongous. He loved excitement. Bella was quiet, shy and petite, loving the calm. They hadn't gotten along at all while growing up, Emmett called her every insult in the book during their teenage years and she drove him crazy by giving him the silent treatment. He made up stupid rhymes with her name and she used adjectives he couldn't even pronounce to insult him.

Jake was laughing loudly. "Oh, I'll never forget your mother's face when they got together - I've never seen a woman look that smug in my entire life!" He made his voice higher as he imitated her, "'I knew it!' She totally called it."

Edward chuckled. He could still remember Emmett's face when the two year younger Bella came back after college. They hadn't seen each other in two years, Emmett had been travelling with friends when she came back between semesters, and she had gone from the skinny girl to a beautiful woman.

"What are you drinking?"

Edward just shrugged, his mind finally relaxing enough to give away how tired he truly was. "Anything but coffee."

"Beer it is." He started moving around behind the bar, collecting a glass and filling it up. "So, you gonna keep that shit on?" he nodded toward Edward's head.

Automatically, Edward pulled the cap down a bit further. "Yeah, I think so."

Jake just bobbed his head once, thoughtfully studying him. "Honestly, you look like shit, man. What the hell has that place been doing to you? I watched you on TV the other day, you and that fine brunette - Angel. Fuck, that girl's smoking."

With a roll of his eyes, Edward snorted. "Like a chimney."

"Ha! Don't you know that smoking takes," again, Jake's voice turned high pitched, "like five pounds off?!"

Angel - formerly Angela Webber - was an actress he had been working with a few times, she was great, except that he was fairly certain that smoke came out of her mouth even when she wasn't lighting up.

Jake placed the beer down with a napkin, sliding towards Edward while waggling his eyebrows. "She good in bed?"

"I don't kiss and tell." Edward grinned, somewhat smugly.

"I knew it! Damn, you lucky bastard! What I wouldn't give to hit that just-"

"I swear, Jake, if you finish that sentence I will call your grandmother and tell her about the time we did it on her kitchen table!" Leah, Jake's girlfriend of three years, fires as she comes up to the bar, an apron tied around her waist and carrying a tray with empty glasses.

"No shit! You did it on gran's table?" A younger, male version of Leah trails after her, his face scrunched up. "I ate breakfast there yesterday! Damn it, I even put my sandwich down on the table." He wound his arm around his midsection. "I'm gonna hurl," he chokes out.

"Har, har." Leah wacks the back of his head and rolls her eyes. "Idiots. All of you."

"Nah, babe. Don't be jealous - you know I would never take Angela Webber on gran's table, I save that for my favorite girl." He winks at her, making a small smile involuntarily tug on her lips. "Maybe the hallway floor, but definitely not the table."

Edward tunes out their squabble for a moment, it's not until the younger man's voice excitedly begins, "Holy shit! You're Edw-"

His heart starts beating. Sweat breaks out over his forehead. His body tenses up and his breath catches in his throat.

Screaming echoes in Edward's head and his ears start ringing.

Lately, he's gotten the same feeling every time he hears it, as if metal bands constrict around his chest, making it impossible to inhale. His heartbeat is everywhere, in his head, fingertips - he can even feel it in the soles of his feet.

"Seth," Leah hisses, clasping a hand over his mouth. "Calm down." She's spoken to Edward on the phone several times over the years, and now proceeds to squeeze his shoulder. "Welcome to anonymity." She smiles kindly for a moment before she goes back to glaring at her boyfriend.

- TEoN -

Two hours later, and Seth is excitedly chatting Edward's ears off, not bothering to wait for answers to his questions - the boy manages to answer them himself so why bother trying. Apparently he had a crush on Victoria Spicer and is convinced that their children would be "perfection". He's sure that Hollywood is actually the place aliens touched down and has slowly started taking over the world by cultural imperialism. Edward Cullen, emphasis on the latter name, is his action hero. Edward actually cracked a smile at that, Seth used his full name, lowering his voice further when saying it, sounding slightly strained, as if he was holding back his excitement.

"So, you need a couch to sleep on?" Leah was the one asking, her eyes worriedly tracing the tired lines of Edward's face. He shakes his head, reassuring her about the room in the motel that Alice had booked him just as Jake calls out, "See ya, Charlie! I'll put this on your tab!"

"Charlie?" Edward looks over his shoulder, catching the back of a stocky man who just left the bar.

"Yeah, shit! You've actually never met Bella's father, have you?"

No, he had heard stories. Edward couldn't say that he necessarily thought highly of the man.

"No, can't say that I have."

"Well, you're not missing much," Leah ground out between her teeth. "Fucking chauvinistic bastard."

"Leah…" it was half hearted. Jake was frowning as he touched her shoulder.

"Don't 'Leah' me Jacob William Black!" She angrily threw the dishrag in her hand down onto the bar. "You know he'll go home, drunk like the ass he his, and beat up his wife. Sue will dutifully deny anything, like the fifties fucking wife she is. The neighbors will call the cops and they won't do shit because he's the chief of the fucking cocksucking police." Her chest was heaving and Edward's mouth dropped open. He could remember an eight year old Bella arriving in Beverly Hills with her mother, but he had never thought much of it. She had become one of his best friends, always been, too. She had, however, never mentioned her father. At all. Why? He never really asked.

It did explain a few of Emmett's less than gentlemanly strings of curses on certain occasions.

"Fuck me."

If someone had told him what other kind of secrets hid in Forks, he would probably have turned back home that instant, murder in his veins and a single, one syllable name drumming in his temples.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

He had been in Forks for two days, his heart was still launching up into his throat whenever someone as much as looked past him. However, he had already fallen into a nice rhythm. The motel was simple, furnished decades ago. The white paint on the facade was greyish these days but it still held a certain charm.

The woman who owned the quaint establishment, Shelly Cope, was permanently red these days. Keeping the secret about her famous guest, Edward Cullen, proved to be even harder than expected. People around town frowned at her over and over again as she quickly turned to look at them, her eyes bright and brimming with excitement, her body tense with energy, cheeks red and her lipstick-smeared lips trembling. But no words came. She painfully managed to keep them in by pressing her lips together and giggling like a little girl.

Edward spent his days donned in his cap and wandering the quiet, wet streets, tensing at the curious glances but thankfully remained anonymous. Come afternoon, and he would head to the bar, taking up a dark corner on the platform where he could see the entire room. He was working on his own script, tapping out his frustration on the keyboard of his laptop. Unfortunately, he was still stuck.

He had been trying to get the idea that was tauntingly flittering around in his mind, just out of reach, down in print. It had been there for months, glimpses of something. He just couldn't reach it. He would begin to write, after half a page, he would read it and then delete it all with a groan. Over and over again, he pulled off his cap, shoved his hand through the unruly hair of his and then shove the cap back down.

Just when he thought he had it, it would dance out of reach.

He had just deleted his words for the umpteenth time when his phone rang, the happy tune could only belong to one person, the only one who bothered to program her own soundtrack into people's phones. He answered, "Alice."

"Hi, there, lumberjacker," she sang in that unique voice of hers. She spoke flowers and sunshine. "How's nowhere?"

Edward glanced around the room, not a single person was looking his way. He relaxed. "Quiet."

"Ah, so have you figured out if you have any thoughts yet?"

His eyebrows shot up. "What?"

"It's a joke, you hermit. You know- quiet? Being able to hear yourself think?"

"Ah." Edward cracked a smile. She was truly one of a kind. Alice always explained her jokes, even when you actually understood them. "Funny."

"Oh, I know. So, Mr. McCandles, how's the script coming?"

For a moment, Edward considered feigning a bad connection, he even got as far as clearing his throat to prepare for crackling noises. With a sigh, he answered her, "I… I'm working on it."

"And by working, you mean that you haven't gotten a single word to stick on that screen of yours and that you're, in fact, wasting your time in hick-ville?"

"I'm working on it," Edward snapped, securing the phone between his ear and shoulder to tug on his hair for a moment.

"I love you, you know that. As your friend. As your agent, manager, future publisher and ever brilliant reason for you getting the roles you have, I'm telling you to either cough something up or get your ass back to work." Her voice should be too bright to be threatening, however, in reality, Alice Brandon might be one of the scariest women in Hollywood, which said a lot. He had, after all, met Carmen Alistar, she had replaced virtually every body part she had and always managed to ask the one question you couldn't afford answering. Always live, always popular and always destructive.

Edward considered his words carefully. "I'll get it done, Alice. I just need some time."

"Time… the script I have for you is perfect, it starts shooting in a few months… let's see, it's October now so…" he could hear her furiously clicking on the other end of the phone. Edward lazily let his fingertips trace the pattern in the wooden table. "Ah!" he almost dropped the phone and managed to elbow the wall. Pain shot up his arm, needles furiously spreading through his skin. "Beginning of February."

"I don't think that-"

"It' as if it was written for you! Tailored to perfection."

"Alice, I need-"

"It couldn't be more perfect if it was written by your mother."

"I really want to get some-"

"The end of that sentence better be tail because seriously, Edward, you'll love it." Her voice hardened slightly, the bells and birds turning to glare.

He sighed. "Just send it to me."

"Well do, Treadwell."

"Wasn't he eaten by a bear?"

"Am I answering as your friend, surrogate mother or manager?" Alice finally sounded like herself again, happy to have gotten her way. As if there had really been any question. She was arguably the smallest thirty year old in town, still, Edward was certain that not even Alistar would be able to take her in a fight. Hell, not even Emmett. Edward almost smiled at the thought. Almost.

"I think surrogate mother is the safest bet." A crooked smile did tug the corner of his mouth up and he fell back into his seat.

"Of course not, sweetheart. The bears only make porridge and beds, love," Alice chirped. "You're lucky. Your manager would have told you about how that porridge was made out of human liver and eyeballs - probably a few toes to, just for the hell of it."

"Fuck, Alice!" Edward shook his head, catching Jake's eye and making a gesture with his hand, it was just a wave, really, but they both knew what it meant. Only alcohol would erase that image. "Remind me to come up with an excuse to get me out of your next dinner party."

Alice laughed, "How about morning sickness? I'd totally buy it. You whine like a girl, Cullen."

"I got that, Thumbelina."

"Whatever, Clarice. I do wish we could chat longer, but…" Edward could almost see her wicked grin. "I'm having an old friend for dinner."

"By Al."

"Seriously, Cullen, watch out for bears." Then she hung up and Edward was left staring at his phone.

His freedom suddenly felt very limited.

- TEoN -

Two hours and several heavy index fingers on the delete button later, he was somehow further behind than when he had started. He must have managed to construct the same sentence - the only one that was left on the screen - in a hundred different ways by now, but it didn't sound right. Mostly because at this point, he had no idea of what he was doing. He was a fluke. The only reason Alice had sprung him from the plastic prison was because he had hinted on writing an original script himself on TV. It was bullshit. He had been planning that one comment, evasive enough to sound important, for months at that point. At least that one, he had gotten right.

However, he needed to work to be able to stay on vacation. And apparently, work didn't come naturally to him anymore. The headlines had always claimed it did, even from the start. He was a rare, natural. What had seemed like luck had turned out to be an angry pitbull. His world refused to let him go, it bit down and held on like a growling animal, adamant to squeeze every last bit of talent out of him before it could discard him like the bloody mess he felt like.

Alice hadn't had much choice when it came to letting him go on vacation, the speculations about it had already started when he walked out of the interview and his vague hints had confirmed it over and over until it was solid.

He only had to complete two projects he was contracted to do. Get through interview upon interview. Screaming masses of people.

It was like a horror movie at this point, coming closer even in his sleep until the shrill sound was right upon him.

When he told Alice about feeling trapped, she called him an ungrateful bastard but let him have his vacation - if he promised to produce something she could, as she put it, turn into gold. A book, a movie. Even a fucking poem. Anything would fly.

Except for Edward, this caged bird better sing or they'd stuff said pitbull into his cage with him.

At some time during the evening, right about when he felt like launching the computer across the room and into the wall, he groaned and let his head fall forward.

It was this way Leah found him, head bowed forward, elbows on the table and hands clasped behind his neck.

"Whatcha up to, Hot Stuff?"

"Writing." Edward sat up, cracking his neck.

"Like the wind, too, I see." She rolled her eyes and gingerly put a cup of coffee in front of him. It was filled to the rim with black liquid. "I hear it's the puny writer's drink." Edward shot her a grateful glance and brought the cup to his lips. "If you had bigger balls, I would have given you scotch."

Edward's drink sprayed over the laptop, brown droplets making paths down the screen. It was just what it needed. It looked like something from a sewer. "You're a believer in the Hemingway method, are you?" He took took the napkin that the cup had been placed on and tried to dry off the screen.

"I don't know what that means, but I came up here to say goodnight, I'm not working tonight and you looked like you could use a pick me up." She squeezed his shoulder.

"Oh, yes. Hearing that she's leaving the establishment must be a nice surprise." Suddenly, Seth's big frame plopped down on one of the chairs and he unapologetically snatched Edward's laptop from in front of him. "It sure brightened my night up." Edward was just reaching for the computer when Seth frowned. "What's this?"

"Nothing." It wasn't even kind of a lie.

"I don't get it - is it supposed to be a poem… because dude, it kind of looks like a very detailed grocery list. Minus the food."

"How does something pass for a grocery list without having any food on it, moron?" Leah wrestled the computer from him and promptly placed it in front of Edward again.

"Hey, I write a good shopping list. And that wasn't it. Seriously, dude, what is it?"

Seriously? Oh, seriously it's shit. It's maggots crawling out of my eyeballs and splinters under my nails. "It's nothing."

"It's not-"

"Seth!" Leah cut in, her voice sharp as a blade.

Said blade was unfortunately lost on Seth. "Don't 'Seth'" - his voice rose to a high falsetto - "me, you sound just like gran! 'Seth, don't put down the groceries on the wet pavement', 'Seth, stop putting the doughnuts on the high shelves', 'Seth, stop spitting you toothpaste in the kitchen sink". Well, old lady, stop spending three hours in the bathroom and I wouldn't have to. It's not like she locks the door, either. Man, I can't tell you how many times I've walked in and seen-"

"Seth!" This time the message was clear, not even her little brother could miss it.

"What?"

"Boundaries! We've talked about this."

"No, we haven't."

"Well, maybe we should have." Leah leveled him with a hard stare and the overgrown child crossed his arms over his chest. Edward found their exchange quite amusing at this point. The woman was the size of one of Seth's arms, and still she was clearly the dominant in their relationship. "And Jake's gran was a doll for taking our asses in when she did. If you have to endure some ninety-seven year old gran-boob, so be it."

And with that she left both men in a horrid shock.

A few beats later, Seth leaned forward and said, "At least she's fine and kicking at ninety-seven. And the sight isn't that terrible, if you know what I mean." He winked, stood and left. If only Edward would have been able to drop it that quickly, his life would have been very different.

With a shake of his head, Edward turned back to his computer, letting a determined finger land on the backspace button. The empty document was too white, no smudges at all. At least a paper would have held stains of coffee. It would have been more honest.

Startled at his own thoughts, Edward shoved his hands through his hair almost violently. He was going insane.

The rain was pouring outside, seemingly never ending.

It was dark, almost twenty-four seven.

The people were immersed in a small town state of mind, almost in an "us against them" way.

The protector of them was possibly the most violent one of all.

Edward watched the cursor blink. He should have inspiration trying to rip his chest open to get out.

Somewhere outside, a vehicle roared closer, the sound barely recognizable in the heavy downpour. It was, however, because the inside of the bar was so quiet compared to what he was used to. There was no loud music, fighting or yelling. A TV provided them with a sports game, laughter was heard and murmurs, nonetheless, it was nothing like the loud surroundings he was used to.

Cracking his neck, Edward let his finger hover over the keyboard. All he wanted was one word. Just one to get him started.

And then she gave it to him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Remember the disclaimer. **

**I don't count words, the chapters won't be long but their story has barely begun yet. He's not instantly falling in love with her, nor she with him.**

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**Chapter 3**

Life is unexpected, people tell themselves that they can predict the future by using the new technology. Many times, they're right, their odds increase with every click. Nevertheless, nobody could have predicted this.

A man, on the verge of giving up and a woman in limbo, suddenly in the same place at the same time.

The rain got louder as someone pulled the door open, it was furious out there. Nevertheless, it was as if someone had accelerated the building into a frenzied drive because all of a sudden, Edward's entire body felt as if it was being hit by something, his heart slammed against his ribcage and his lungs emptied of air.

With a black leather jacket over a wine red shirt, Rosalie walked into the bar, helmet tucked under her arm and pushing long and wet hair out of her face. He seemed to be the only one caught by surprise, the other patrons simply acknowledged her with familiarity, a was a sharp contrast to when she arrived town nine months earlier. By then, she had seemingly been born out of thin air. These days, she wasn't interesting enough to keep people asking, the mystery that was Rosalie had faded when she became Jake's waitress.

She looked nothing like the picture of a small town girl, at least not the kind his mind had concocted. She wasn't tall and gangly like the woman he was used to, however, she was untouchable. Even smiling at the various people, collecting bottles and exchanging words on her way to the bar, she still seemed to be keeping a distance. Her sloppily tied leather boots left wet marks as she moved - actually the entire woman seemed to be dripping, but she didn't appear to be concerned.

Behind the bar, she put her helmet away and twisted her hair into a knot high on her head, shaking the wet tendrils out of her eyes.

Edward watched with rapt attention as she expertly moved into her occupational role, removing her jacket while simultaneously taking orders and securing her apron around her waist. Jake said something that made her laugh as she filled a glass up, shaking her head and replying with the hint of a grin.

Nobody could have possibly loathed the rain as much as he did before. Suddenly, he hated it with the passion of ten thousand suns. He wanted to hear what she was saying. He wanted to find cracks in her exterior and know what she would say that would make that particular smile break free.

This was when Edward realized two things at the same time. One, he was very possibly going insane. Either from the isolation of Forks or his life in general, it had probably been a long time coming. Two, his fingers had started moving, tapping the keys in the rhythm of his heart.

He had gotten one word. One word, followed by syllable after syllable.

She.

- TEoN -

As the night progressed, Edward short periods of feeling pathetic were all forgotten as he studied the young woman. Her interactions and her body language. The pathetic feelings were accompanied by feeling slightly creepy, but then she would do something, move someway and it would all be forgotten.

One minute, she daringly raised one eyebrow and the other, someone would put an arm around her shoulder and she would clench her fists and shrink away. She would joke and laugh, only have the joy morph into a murderous stare into thin air. After a minute or two, she would come back to reality and try to act as if nothing had happened. She was a conundrum.

One that provided Edward with an entire chapter of words that threatened to unzip his skin and push out through his chest if his fingers didn't cave to their demand. It was finally there, striking like a surgical knife from inside. Inspiration.

Hours passed, Jake would come by now and then with something to drink or just to talk for a few minutes.

He never mentioned the woman and Edward couldn't for the life of him figure out how to ask.

By closing time, she was in the back and Jake gently but firmly guided Edward out, walking him to his car as the rain had finally stopped. Or been shut off for the night, may have been a better description. The day's work was done and it was as if someone had pushed a button.

It was pitch black outside, not even the bulb that hung over the door provided them with enough light to see the road.

"So, you apparently finally got into a good headspace." Jake crossed his arms and leaned against the backdoor. Edward was leaning into the car while he placed his bag in the passenger seat.

He almost laughed as he straightened up again. "Yeah." What could he say? "Good night?"

"Yeah, we always break pretty much even."

Edward threw his cap into the car, pushing a hand through his hair just as the door behind him creaked, he had spun around before she could begin speaking. "Everything's cleared up in there so I'm out of here. Night." She didn't stop. Stare at him. Nothing. Her face was neutral and then the dark swallowed her as Jake bid her good night.

Edward wasn't aware of Jake's eyes on him as one, a single light found strength by the edge of the woods. She roared out of the parking lot less than a minute later, heading towards Forks, and he could have sworn that she had him chained to the back of her bike because it was as if he had been dragged over the gravel. It wouldn't have surprised him one bit if he was a mangled, bloodied mess at this very moment.

He was almost disappointed she hadn't recognized him. It was an old, supposedly dormant feeling. In the beginning, he had been grinning at every stranger on the sidewalk to see if they recognized him from his first movie. Edward had forgotten about that need, the wish that someone would acknowledge him. The basic human need to be a somebody. Over the years, that yearning had faded until it was forgotten.

When Edward finally came out of it, he was frowning. Jake was grinning and shaking his head. "Keep away from her, man."

"I don't know her." He sounded defensive, but he took offense - he wasn't planning on befriending the woman. But she managed to be the mystery he had never truly encountered. She hadn't even done a double take, he had heard her coming out of the bar and merely seconds later, she was gone.

Jake started walking way, still grinning. His parting words, on the other hand, were dark. "Do her one favor and leave her alone."

Edward was back in his room at the motel when those words finally reached him, making him roll over onto his back. Do her one favor and leave her alone.

- TEoN -

It was the second Sunday in October and the town was just as it always was. Where Edward was from, this was an oddity. He lived in a city where even the people changed themselves. "Recreating" oneself was a trend. Just like redecorating, getting a new script and the trendy clubs to be seen. It was a living, breathing plastic organism. Forks was… still.

As he walked the streets, enjoying the fact that even though there was no sun, the rain had stopped a while back. Edward had only seen places like this when shooting a movie, or even ones built up - he briefly wondered if there truly would be a store behind that perfect front. It was charming and therefore, incredulous. It didn't seem believable.

He passed the local theatre, a small establishment that looked a bit worn down, the posters, on the other hand, were all jumping and dancing. Edward decided that they must have been painted by the high school students as they were promising to put on a "Exciting Vaudeville Show!" on Friday, two weeks away. His school had never put on things like that, not with handmade posters, they had bands coming to play, giving the students a chance to perform beforehand and the posters were made by printers. He had thought they were lucky. In this dimension - for that was what it was - though, he hoped they would always paint their own. Make their own. Let children be just that, children.

They even had kids playing in the streets. Back home, kids their age was already donning makeup and designer clothes. They were doing grown-up things and missing a childhood they would never understand because it was out of question.

Here, though, they were throwing small, weirdly shaped figures instead of fits, the only clothes standing out were the old halloween costumes and they outdid each other by climbing the highest tree, not by the drugs he had already been familiar with at the age of thirteen. He hadn't tried the harder stuff, but every kid in his class knew where to find them, even before they started high school.

Edward concluded that nobody could have written a better scene. That was what this world seemed like. Fiction.

Once he arrived back at the motel, Shelly Cope who was digging in the flowerbeds outside flushed in a deep red and stood up to greet him. She wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. Unfortunately this only left a dark stretch of dirt over her skin. Edward didn't have the heart to point it out to her as the woman stuttered out a, "Good day, Mr. Cullen."

He automatically glanced around. "How are you today?" He inquired politely, yet, his body inched towards the door and his hands secured the cap over his eyes.

"Oh, I'm fine." She barely got the words out, her eyes flickering all over the place and her hands only adding more dirt to all over her face. "It's such a nice day and I wanted to plant my mums before the rain comes back." She drew another shaking breath and Edward nodded politely, taking another step towards the door, he was almost at the two stone steps that lead up onto the porch. "I mean, it's certainly nice for Forks. It's rare that we go without rain. Sunshine is even more so… rare, that is."

Another nod, another step and a, "Yes, I can-"

"It's not that we never get sunshine." She blushed another shade of red. "Excuse me, I didn't… you were saying?"

"Not much." Edward almost removed his cap to run his fingers through his hair. "Well, I'll just…" he gestured over his shoulder, almost backing up onto the porch.

"Oh, yes! Of course. I didn't mean to keep you! It's just an honor to have you stay with me. At the motel, that is. Lovely, just lovely."

Afraid that another word out of his mouth would drag more out of her, he simply smiled and quickly moved into the reception area. The other guests were few, two rooms except for his had been rented out. Even so, he found it hard to breathe until he was securely locked in his own room. Exhaling heavily he sat down on bed, put his folded laptop in front of him, and then stared at it for the rest of the day.

- TEoN -

This was insane, creepy and utterly insane. Monday afternoon, most in the bar were watching sports. Not Edward, he was watching the blonde waitress move about the room, today she wore all black. Her hair was held up by a black clip, her torso hugged by a black henley and her legs fitted in black jeans. And she seemed so alive, at least from his vantage point. Maybe it was lucky, that he wasn't in her head. Edward would quite possibly have preferred it that way, if someone were to ask him at a later point.

Nevertheless, there he sat, his fingers moving in a crazed pace as he tried to capture as much as he could. If Jake had noticed his eyes rarely leaving the woman, he never said. He just did his duty and served Edward with liquid of various strengths - Edward wasn't aware until he took a mouthful of tequila out of his coffee cup and once more sprayed the poor screen of his computer.

Jake was laughing loudly as he walked back to the bar, not even bothering to hide it.

The story wasn't about her. It wasn't. But she unknowingly served him every word the way she served the other patrons their drinks.

It wasn't until later, more so than Edward expected when he glanced at the time, his fingers stopped moving and his brow furrowed deeply. Who _exactly_ was she?


	4. Chapter 4

**Again, remember the disclaimer.**

**I want to thank you for reading and for your support, I'm grateful for every one of you who take time to look at this story. Writing is a passion of mine and at the moment I'm sharing Edward's frustration - my own original fiction is mocking me each day and I can't get a single word to stick. In the meantime, fanfiction has a way of warming up my fingers so here we are.**

**Outside of writing I have a hectic schedule which keeps me busy, but I'll try to update each Saturday - or as close to it as I can get.**

**Thank you again,**

**- Soph**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

A group of men walked into the dim bar, all of them tall, bulky and generally just… huge, really. Edward thought Jake was humongous, now he fit right in. He had been right, too, there must be something in the water out here. Only one of them didn't fit in the offense, he hung back a bit, a red flannel shirt hanging loosely, sleeves rolled up as he had a lazy smirk on his face, shaking his head at the rowdy group before him.

With his fingers dead on the keyboard, Edward did what he had for the past few hours. He watched. Suddenly, the woman wasn't cringing away from everybody, one of the tackles scooped her up and planted a big, sloppy kiss on the side of her face. "You'll kick ass!" he bellowed and seemingly squeezed the air right out her.

She flung one arm over his shoulder and suddenly, she was just… hanging, next to him, one of his arms around her waist held her up and her feet dangled off the floor as they all spoke and laughed. They may aswell have been standing next to each other if it wasn't for the dangling.

With mouth agape, Edward took in the scene. The other patrons cheered, or glanced or just smiled and then went back to their own thing. Jake was leaning on his elbows over the bar, laughing right with them.

They were all greasy, wearing ripped jeans and dirty t-shirts. Not that any of them minded, apparently this was their usual apparel. With his studying eyes, he caught their level of comfort, not only with each other but in general. He was just about to start typing again when his entire body slumped back.

"'Key, Quil, put me down you big goon or I'll have to take you out." She was laughing, making every other smile he had seen her crack seem uneasy and forced. It was the first time she spoke loud enough for him to hear since they'd been outside the bar. Except this time, it was filled with humor. He had thought her voice to be uniquely soft and hoarse at the same time, but now, in comparison it had been flat until now.

Who _exactly_ was this woman?

As they bantered, she slipped down, instantly moving - as if unconscious of the action - to stand next to the blonde guy who now had slid up to the bar. Edward watched in fascination as her shoulders relaxed further as they spoke. He watched as the shadows and lights danced over her face as she moved, how she gestured with her hands and-

For all the hours and hours he had been sitting up there, unabashedly staring at her, had she not even once looked up. She must have known who he was, it wasn't that dark under the light bulb the other night. She had to have recognized him, right? Nonetheless, she simply hadn't appeared to be interested in the currently most sought after actor in Hollywood. Hell, even Europeans were offering to fly him out there to shot. France, knowing he had been falling asleep in french for four years, had spoken of Pathé and how it would be beneficial to work outside of Hollywood - and why not go to the country that used to be in the lead?

Edward's hands had began to tremble.

But it wasn't the usual stress over work.

No.

Dark eyes he would have to find out the color of pinned him to his seat and at the same time stripped him of every layer of clothes and skin she had. It was as if she could see right through him.

Her face had hardened noticeably in the past few seconds, her brow slightly pulled together. Nonetheless, she was still speaking to the lanky - at least in comparison to the company he kept - man who now had his back to Edward.

Then the second - finally? - passed and Edward could exhale. His entire body was trembling when she released him, as his eyelids fell shut, echoes of screaming resided in his head, memories of being pulled in every direction while simultaneously shuffled, pushed and rushed towards the waiting car.

Without thinking about his actions, Edward pushed his cap back and let his forehead fall forward and rest on top of the table. The surface was slightly sticky and smelled quite odd, but he couldn't find it in him to care. Every ragged breath he drew slid down his throat like barbed wire.

Alice usually protected him as much as she could, he didn't know what she was telling the people who inquired where he had gone to write… she hadn't told him.

He did what he promised himself oh, so many times to never do again. He physically pushed his upper body up, hands against the table as if he needed the support. Then he drew a breath and slowly, as if disarming a bomb, typed in his own name in the search engine.

Apparently, he was off with Angel on a desert island, celebrating their honeymoon.

Or, someone speculated, he was running away from the law, having assaulted a series of women.

He had burned out, quit, and was currently holed up in a rehab.

He was pregnant and held against his will as a series of researchers and doctors performed tests on him.

Edward actually smiled at that one, Emmett would get a kick out of that particular scenario.

One ludicrous suggestion after an insulting one, glazed over by a romantic hue. Topped off with… At the moment, someone was apparently trying to get in contact with Alice to confirm that he was dead.

He read the word in fascination.

_Dead._

New start.

But the idea was something he couldn't bring himself to fall for. He wanted it, not necessarily the fame, he did, however, crave the creative. Edward needed to act, sometimes he thought he needed it more than air. It was how he breathed. How he coped.

He would be lying if he said he didn't miss it as he sat in a small, dark bar in which the glow from his computer was the strongest light. Edward just wanted more time.

_February._

It was too close.

His eyes moved on their own, seeking her out. It was as if he was reading a mystery novel, addicting - spurring a need to get the answer before he could leave it behind. However, she was gone, as were her linebacker friends.

Jake was walking around the room… Edward frowned. He appeared to be collecting money and was scribbling something down on a pad. Wearing an amused expression, he nodded at something a redheaded man said.

With a few long strides, he was at the steps leading up to the platform. With Leah behind the bar, Jake took time to flop down on a chair, stretching his legs out as he kept writing on the yellow legal pad. "You want in?"

Edward's brows shot up. "In on?"

"Right, sorry." Jake's eyes met his as Edward shut his laptop. "They're racing tonight, we take down bets on winners. Though it's predictable at this point, some just don't have the sense to bet on the obvious choice and let the rest of us win big money." He waggled his eyebrows. "I think it's because she's a woman, small town mentality - she's racing against men, many of them actually coming out to Port Angeles to try to beat her."

Edward's heart was suddenly in every part of his body. "Who?"

"Rose." Jake said as if it was obvious and Edward's heart thumped almost uncomfortably in chis chest, the cliffhanger was set. Now he just needed to flip the page. "Our waitress, it's all underground and we don't really advertise it, but when someone is as good with cars as she is, word travels."

"Oh." She was a race car driver? He couldn't see it, which was probably why people bet against her.

"Hell, people don't know her name, she's not one to introduce herself either, they call her 'Ice Queen'. It's fitting, she's fucking awesome out there, man." The door opened and Jake automatically turned, waving briefly to Charlie Swan as he walked in and took his regular seat. "You want in? It's Rose, Quil, and Paul that's racing out of our people and a few more from other places. Jasper knows people at the track in Port so they let them in after hours, I haven't really asked how the hell he pulled that one off but it's been going on since long before I got here."

Edward glanced at Charlie, still feeling fury as he saw the father of his friend, his brother's wife. "Does the Chief know?" He had picked up on the fact that it was what they called him.

"He pretends not to. As do most in Port, it's not like they're breaking any rules, the second they do, they'll be on their asses like rubber on tires. They just pretend not to know right now." Yeah, Edward thought with a glance at the Chief, a lot of people appeared to be doing that around here.

Trying to put it behind him for the moment, Edward reached out for the legal pad. "So she's a safe bet?" He thought of the blonde - _Rose_, ironically fitting, he decided. _Ice Queen_. He chuckled and read the names, it was all in Jake's messy handwriting, they had all teased him about it when he was younger.

"Hell yes, brother. I'd never bet against her. Then again, she's my empolyee so it might be a bit biased. She's never lost through. Broken the track record… well, pretty much always, actually." Edward could only smile at that, Jake had always had a flare for the dramatic when he was telling tales. But since he couldn't imagine betting against her, he just nodded and pushed the pad back. "Put me down for… what's the usual amount?"

Jake smirked, mischief in his eyes. "Fifty bucks. You'll thank me later."

A fifty was a nothing. Though, Edward didn't feel the need to point this out and simply nodded instead. "Okay." This would be interesting, he decided and took a swing of the beer he had forgotten. She was a _driver_.

- TEoN -

Edward wanted to see it. He wanted to see them drive, he had never been to a race. He had seen the movies, though. With a sigh, he filed those thoughts in the back of his mind and looked his words over. He had pages of them now, interestingly enough. Two chapters. A smile tugged at the right corner of his mouth - he had done that. Written that.

It was messy and unedited, but it was his. All of it - in it's imperfect glory was his. He doubted Alice would like it, it was too raw and didn't work in some places, but at the moment he didn't care. Suddenly, the start came naturally to him, mere moments after typing in "chapter three", Edward's fingers were dancing again, moving gracefully in a quick succession over the keyboard.

It would be okay.

That particular thought stayed with him for a long time. This evening, he didn't find it in him to worry again about the curious looks he still got once in a while. Even though most knew he was Jake's friend and obviously quite attached to his computer - with a few dramatics thrown in, such as oblivious and loud groaning and thumping his head against the table, they guessed he was an author or some fancy-pants City Boy. Probably working in economics, someone guessed.

This was how he was getting known around town, the accountant at Jake's. Most of them could recognize the annoyance, the head thumping and groaning - those who hadn't gone to college, which was most, remembered it from math in school.

However, Edward was oblivious to it all as he sank into the salvation of his own words. He didn't even notice how the clientele was getting sparse, or how they emptied out completely around eleven. He didn't know that a few nights a week, only a privileged few were allowed to stay. The rest would earn their winnings in the morning or mourn their losses. On race night, the entire room turned into their VIP platform.

It wasn't until the quiet strumming of a guitar sounded that Edward broke out of his own space. Ironically, he had missed the scraping of chairs and loudly slurred "g'night" many had pleasantly enough bid Jake and Leah, nonetheless, the soothing sound of music stirred him. As he looked up, he found Seth, Leah and Jake sitting around a table, the latter two wound up in each other and Seth kicked back with the instrument in his hands.

When Edward was caught looking, they waved him over. "We were wondering when you would come out of it," Leah smiled as he neared, obviously sensing that it was a good evening for their accountant. "Getting in the groove?"

Smiling crookedly, he sat down and put the bookbag with his computer on the floor. "Yeah." _Finally_, he added in his mind. Looking around at the upside down turned chairs and wiped off tables, Edward's eyes came back to look at the couple. "Should I leave…" he didn't know how to form the sentence, all the words had run out through his fingers and left him empty.

Just as Jake glanced at the clock hanging next to the door behind the bar and was about to agree that it was time for his friend to leave for the night, Leah spoke up. "No, I think you should stay."

Surprised, the larger man met his girlfriend's determined gaze, his brow furrowing as he tried to understand her reasoning. She just impassively looked back, something she had perfected during her childhood. It was rare that she took to that expression when it came to Jake, usually she let him in, no matter how much her inner self fought the vulnerability he effortlessly drew out of her. Nevertheless, this time, she didn't want to give up what she was thinking, worried that he would take the "protective-big-brother" stance.

Edward tried not to watch their silent - albeit, seemingly one-sided communication, he focused on Seth who seemed relaxed, and surprisingly enough quiet for once. The young man was strumming on his guitar, quietly thinking about Lauren Mallory, the new art teacher at the High School. She had just come back from college and looked _good_. Her temper had evened out remarkably and even though she still could draw back into her snarky self, maturity had slowly, as if careful not to spook the young woman, embraced her. Seth's lips were pursed and now drew slightly to the side as he mused. They were the same age and though he had been too cool to hang out with her a few years ago - Bitchy Mallory mostly spent her time in the art studio (slash linguistics department, it was a small, small school, Forks High), her rough exterior rubbed most the wrong way… now though. He smiled. Now she looked _good_.

"Yeah, man. Stay." Jake pulled Edward's attention back, still looking a bit confused but tried a smile anyway.

Edward took his cap off, pushing his fingers through his now matted down hair, making it stand up as if he had been electrocuted. At least that was how he saw it. He didn't catch the flush that swept over Leah's cheeks, thankfully, neither did Jacob. "Okay."

"Do you guys think roses are last year?" Seth asked all of a sudden, focusing on a spot somewhere in the distance, however, his words were plucked straight out of the middle of a conversation.

Three sets of eyes turned to look at him incredulously. "Come again?" Leah asked, confounded. She hit Jake in the stomach with the back of her hand before he could get a word out, already knowing what was coming.

"Roses," Seth said, as if it was obvious where he was going with this. "Are they… artsy?" He appeared to be trying the word out, but couldn't get it to fit.

"No." Leah shook her head.

"Then what is?"

"_Artsy_?" Jacob confirmed with sparkling eyes.

"Yeah."

His mind worked quick. "Are they supposed to go with blond, blue eyes and a hell of a rac-"

"Watch it!" Leah snarled and glared at him.

"-coon. I was going to say 'raccoon'."

Edward scoffed and tossed his cap on the table. "Yeah, I remember you hanging out by the pool when we were kids, staring at raccoons all day." He earned a laugh from Seth and even Leah let a smile go free.

"Whatever. I'd go with wildflowers, man. Ya know, colorful. Crazy. Fitting."

Edward's cell phone chimed and pulled his attention away as the others continued their conversation, getting to a point of mutual laughter as he opened his e-mail. It was from Alice, she had been sending him work related e-mails all weekend. He rolled his eyes without opening it and shut the phone off completely. Not today. It was Monday - for another hour, at least - and he wasn't in the mood for her crazy.

Just as he dropped the phone into his bag, rumbling engines sounded outside. As he looked up, Jake looked tense, frowning at Leah with questions in his eyes as she soothingly rubbed circles on his chest. She had a small smile playing on her lips and her warm eyes were at Edward. "Would you like a drink? Those guys will want to celebrate."

Suddenly, laughter burst through the doors in form of five men and one woman. One by one, they stopped laughing and stared. There, in their local watering hole where they celebrated each victory with their closest friends after closing, sat Edward Cullen.

However, only four of the men looked with wide, surprised and slightly admiring eyes at the marvel. One of them looked thoughtful instead, which Edward found even more unnerving than the gaping mouths and wide eyes.

Only one of the pack coming through the door didn't look at him, she seemed to be looking almost accusingly at the other three occupants of the table. Ice in her forest green eyes.

_Green_.

And then Edward Cullen smiled a genuine smile at perfect at strangers for the first time in years.


End file.
